Mongombe Motande Simon, retired agric woker took part in the organisation of the 1973 agric show

What are you doing now ?
I am in my village Bwasa in Buea where I am doing a private job with Doctor P M Menyoli, I am assisting him in his plantation that is situated at Likome village.
You witnessed the launching of the green revolution in 1973, what happened that day ?
The agric show that took place in Buea was very successful; the farmers participated fully with their exhibits and were given reasonable prizes as per the time.
What kinds of crops were exhibited in the 1973 agro pastoral show ?
We had plantains; we had coco yams, cassava, yams, cocoa, there were also livestock like pigs, chicken, goat, sheep etc.

What kinds of prizes were given to farmers ?
The prizes were small but they were so encouraging at the time if you compare with the present situation.
How was the show organized within your ministry at that time ?
Organization at that time was good and representative. It started from the grassroots workers, the field extension workers. They moved out to the field, selected the various exhibits at the level of their zones from the farmers and then helped the selected farmers to convey the products to the agric show.

Were the 1973 exhibits produced by the farmers or bought for the grand show ?
No, the exhibits came from people who actually grew the crops, took them to the exhibition ground; they didn’t buy anything. Instead they got their prizes and sold their exhibits again.
How did you make sure that you selected deserving farmers ?
The field staff new who to select given that they were working with the farmers; so there was no room for errors since they wanted winners to come from their own areas. In terms of finances everybody praised the way both the income and expenditure were managed.

What would you recommend to organizers of agric shows today ?
At the level of the sub divisional delegation, special comities involving the field staff should go into the field and make sure they select good exhibits. When we by-pass those working in the field, we make errors whereas these field staff know the various farmers.
Do you think the 1973 show actually spurred people to get to the farms ?
Yes, because lazy people saw how their friends were winning prizes, farm tools…and honored by the President of the Republic. This alone spurred them to get into farming activities that explains why after that a lot of yams and coco yams were grown here.

Do you consider the reinstitution of shows a major positive move for our agriculture ?
Farmers should start preparing now for Ebolowa. They show have even announced long ago for farmers produce good exhibits. There are some crops that you cannot plant and harvest within six months. Now that the shows have been re-launched, the extension workers should go down to the farmers and make sure that they come up with good exhibits. This is a good opportunity that the government is giving to farmers. Farming is not an easy job; when you labour every day then receive compensation for feeding the nation, you are encouraged.
by B.D.S

Notutu Godfrey, Regional Delegate of Agriculture, NW
“Staff will follow up these farmers in the field,”

How are the farmers to represent the region going to be selected?
One of the reasons for organizing the regional agric show is to see the potentials of the region and those farmers who participated and excelled in the regional agric show are automatically short listed for the national agric show. That is the first criterion and the second criterion is that there are some other farmers in the field with huge potentials who probably might not have taken part in the regional agric show. Their farms will be visited and they shall be selected to participate in the national agric show. As of now, we held the first preliminary meeting at the Ministry on the 15th of January and they gave us the guidelines as to how the selection should go. Like we are saying, it will be an on going process. A farmer who can excel and win prizes for the North West Region obviously we are going to take that farmer. As to how many farmers are going to be selected, I cannot tell you as yet because those details are going to come from the top. And as to how they are going to be transported to Ebolowa, we have not yet had those details. There is a national planning commission at the level of the Ministry and there will be regional planning commissions. All these commissions will be working to see that farmers can bring us prizes from the national agric show.
After selection, are these farmers going to be assisted to prepare for the show?
I think that the farmers are going there to show their potentials of production. First, what is the farmer producing that he thinks he can go and show in Ebolowa? So, it is first the farmer’s exhibit that he is preparing, not that he is preparing it for Ebolowa. He is preparing it as he has always prepared his exhibits, then we will now select the best exhibit to go and compete in Ebolowa. We are going to put in place a strategy where staff will follow up these farmers in the field to make sure that they get the best results out of their farms By J.F



Notutu Godfrey, Regional Delegate of Agriculture, NW
“Staff will follow up these farmers in the field,”

How are the farmers to represent the region going to be selected ?
One of the reasons for organizing the regional agric show is to see the potentials of the region and those farmers who participated and excelled in the regional agric show are automatically short listed for the national agric show. That is the first criterion and the second criterion is that there are some other farmers in the field with huge potentials who probably might not have taken part in the regional agric show. Their farms will be visited and they shall be selected to participate in the national agric show. As of now, we held the first preliminary meeting at the Ministry on the 15th of January and they gave us the guidelines as to how the selection should go. Like we are saying, it will be an on going process.

A farmer who can excel and win prizes for the North West Region obviously we are going to take that farmer. As to how many farmers are going to be selected, I cannot tell you as yet because those details are going to come from the top. And as to how they are going to be transported to Ebolowa, we have not yet had those details. There is a national planning commission at the level of the Ministry and there will be regional planning commissions. All these commissions will be working to see that farmers can bring us prizes from the national agric show.

After selection, are these farmers going to be assisted to prepare for the show ?
I think that the farmers are going there to show their potentials of production. First, what is the farmer producing that he thinks he can go and show in Ebolowa? So, it is first the farmer’s exhibit that he is preparing, not that he is preparing it for Ebolowa. He is preparing it as he has always prepared his exhibits, then we will now select the best exhibit to go and compete in Ebolowa. We are going to put in place a strategy where staff will follow up these farmers in the field to make sure that they get the best results out of their farms By J.F